(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive John Lee said he will not allow district councils to be the platform to promote Hong Kong independence.

Mr Lee made the statement while responding to questions from the media before today's Executive Council meeting.

He noted that the aim of the district administration review is to ensure that future arrangements will be in conformity with the Basic Law, in adherence to the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and conducive to enhancing governance efficacy at the district level.

The Chief Executive stressed that more needs to be done to safeguard national security and prevent district councillors from behaving in a way that causes damage to society. He referred to former district councillors who had misbehaved.

He said: “As regards the outrageous behaviours of many district councillors, it is not just unsatisfactory, it is blatantly unacceptable because they behaved in such a way which advocated Hong Kong's independence, acting against the Government's governance, insulting officials and causing destructions to the council's convention of meetings.

“A lot of the district councillors refused to take the oath. That reflects that they do not accept the PRC (People's Republic of China) as the sovereign state of Hong Kong and the PRC exercising sovereignty over Hong Kong. They are the root of the problem and they had behaved in such a way that causes damage to society - upsetting everybody's expectation of what a district councillor should do.”

Mr Lee emphasised that the former district councillors set a very bad example for Hong Kong and the Government will not tolerate such unacceptable behaviour.